Review: 'Flight'

Paramount Pictures

How should a film present the subject matter of addiction? There are a handful of different options but first decisions have to be made concerning the character with the addiction. Should it be hammered home that this character is an addict with not a lot of character focus or should addiction be made clear but only used for one end of a charter arc? Flight attempts to present its lead character in both of these ways but never finds proper balance which causes for an emotionless story about addiction rather than an addict.            

Flight opens with airline captain William ‘Whip’ Whitaker (Denzel Washington) waking up in a hotel room with a flight attendant by his side. The hung over pilot snorts a line of cocaine and begins his day which includes piloting a plane from Orlando to Atlanta. It is during this flight that complications arise causing for Whip to land the plane upside down. Initially, Whip is viewed as a hero but this quickly changes when evidence is found concerning his alcohol dependency.

Films concerning addiction seem to usually have some kind hold on an audience. Maybe because it is often comparable to a train wreck or just the natural intrigue they have. Whatever the case may be, Flight is also a film concerning addiction that does not have trouble grabbing ones attention. Right off the bat, in the previously described opening scene, Whip is seen under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Of course it is too early to assume he has a substance abuse problem but it does gain the curiosity of audience. It is when he is on the plane that one can see that this character is most likely an alcoholic. Then there is the landing of the plane that gains the audience with its level of intensity while more is discovered about what kind of person Whip is. 

As Whip Whitaker, Denzel Washington also makes it hard not to be interested with his larger than life on screen presence, a quality beneficial to the character. With his performances in films such as Training Day and American Gangster, Washington has always been able to convincingly play an arrogant, unlikable character so given the persona of Whip,  Washington in this role works well. To Washington’s credit, Whip is a character that comes off as such a jerk that it becomes difficult to not only root against the character but also despise him. This can also be credited to screen writer John Gatins who offers up a very well written character. The dialogue given to Whip makes for a strong spoken character. The strong delivery style of Washington only helps as it meshes well with this dialogue.                

When Washington’s performance along with what he is given to say is looked passed and a slightly deeper examination into the character of Whip is applied, Flights major problems are found. The film wants to present an alcoholic character that changes but does so without any real character arc. Up until the final scene, Flight refuses to let the audience forget that Whip is heavily dependent on alcohol with scene after scene depicting this. Yes, these scenes may grab ones attention but when they start to pile up, they eventually hinder the effectiveness of Flight’s aim or what it ultimately wants to be.                                                                  

It would have been much more interesting and made for a much deeper character if the stressing of Whips addiction was put to the side at some point or toned down and the physiological and emotional aspects of the character were explored. Why is Whip the way he is? By not exploring this question at all, Whip comes off as an emotionless character that doesn’t want to change which makes the films conclusion feel very out of place and insincere. 

This void caused by this lack of emotion or character arc is filled with the idea that he can function with cocaine. One scene in particular that demonstrates this features Whip’s friend Harling (John Goodman) rushing into Whip’s hotel room to get him over his severe hangover and make him presentable for a hearing just moments away by giving him cocaine to snort all while the scene is accompanied by John Cocker’s ‘Feelin’ Alright’. This ever so tacky, anger evoking scene causes for a brief 180 degree genre switch that feels like one huge, bad joke which only makes for what is to follow feel even more unreal.            

With all of this said though, if one is simply looking for a film about alcoholism, Flight will fully satisfy. The film puts this condition in the lead which makes it easy to see some of the dangers of it. This is supported by quality technical craftsmanship, a strong performance by Washington and entertaining dialogue. The problem is that Flight actually wants to be about the alcoholic and not just alcoholism but with the mishandling of the journey or arc of its lead character, an unbelievable and outplace conclusion occurs.

Grade: C